Learning Through Play Putting SDG4 Into Practice: Learning Through Play

Technical Brief No. 3

Putting SDG4 into practice

Learning through play Putting SDG4 into practice: Learning through play

Inclusive and equitable education provides all learners with the capabilities to become economically productive, develop sustainable livelihoods, contribute to peaceful societies and enhance individual wellbeing. This technical brief describes how learning through play pedagogies contribute to the holistic development of young children, laying the foundations for lifelong learning. The experiences of VVOB demonstrate how innovative play-based pedagogies can be introduced successfully at the classroom level by creating favourable policy environments and building capacity of pre-service and in-service teacher professional development institutions.

Why learning through play matters

Learning through play has gained momentum in early childhood education and beyond. Learning through play is proven to enhance wellbeing and involvement in learning. It fosters a breadth of skills and cultivates creativity and imagination, thus preparing learners for success in the 21st century. Researchers have documented multiple positive effects from learning through play:

Play facilitates holistic development. also acquire crucial ‘learning-to-learn’ skills, which will help them Too often, learning is understood as a mainly cognitive and continue to learn throughout life. academic process of building knowledge and acquiring skills. But research has shown that learning is much more diverse. Besides Play provides opportunities for children to actively a cognitive process, learning is also physical, social, linguistic, explore and interact with other children, adults and emotional and creative. Learning in these different domains is the environment. interconnected. Play allows children to engage with multiple This is in line with constructivist and social constructivist theories domains of learning simultaneously. A child playing hide-and-seek, of learning, which state children construct knowledge and meaning for instance, is physically active, exercising executive functions from their active experiences and that learning is a collaborative like patience and self-control, developing spatial awareness and process. interacting socially. Play increases wellbeing and involvement. Play is a natural way of learning. In play, children have many choices. Children choose (with) Play and learning cannot be separated. Play is fundamental to how what and how they play. Giving learners choice stimulates their we learn. From a very young age, children naturally engage in playful motivation and involvement and increases their wellbeing. Wellbeing learning experiences. Most learning happens incidentally. It is not is also increased because play is an inherently joyful activity. Play until later, when children enter formal schooling, that learning provides children with safe spaces to exercise skills they will later becomes more intentional. Through play, children are constantly need in more challenging contexts. For instance, in roleplay children learning about and connecting with their environments. They can learn how to deal with conflicts.

Learning through play and SDG4

SDG4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and target 4.2). This will significantly increase the number of children promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Learning through who are developmentally on track in learning and their psychosocial play, as an effective pedagogical approach to fostering deeper level wellbeing, ready for primary education and for acquiring the learning and vital learning-to-learn skills, is essential in realising this knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development in the 21st goal. century.

Because of its lifelong learning benefits and the importance of early As a partner for putting SDG4 into practice, VVOB is committed to experiences for later development, learning through play is an including learning through play in all its early childhood education indispensable element of quality early childhood education. By 2030, programmes. all boys and girls should have access to such an education (SDG

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What is learning through play

Characteristics

VVOB’s understanding of learning through play is inspired by 2. Learning through play is meaningful. For children to learn the research of Jennifer M. Zosh and the group of researchers she through play they need to be able to connect their experiences to collaborated with to publish important conceptual work in 2017 and things they already understand, to something that makes sense to 2018 *. them and they feel connected to, or to something that is concrete.

They emphasise that true play, and learning through play, requires 3. Learning through play is actively engaging. It implies children children to experience agency. Play implies that children can take are involved with and absorbed by what they are doing and that they charge and make choices. For children to be able to learn through can persist despite distractions. In the research by Zosh this is also play, they need to have control, initiative and leadership over their referred to as being ‘minds-on’. Being actively engaged also requires actions. This does not mean that adults can or should not have a role some level of self-direction. in children’s play, but that adults see the child as capable to (jointly) plan and control the flow of activities during play. 4. Learning through play is iterative. Iteration refers to children repeatedly trying out new possibilities, revising hypotheses and Zosh and her colleagues identify five characteristics that define exploring other ways to do things. This way, new brain networks are playful learning activities: created and deeper level learning is generated.

1. Learning through play is joyful. When learning through play, 5. Learning through play is socially interactive. Although play children experience pleasure, motivation, surprise, thrill, etc. Joy is can happen individually, learning through play is more powerful important because it leads to motivation but also because positive in social interactions. By sharing ideas, interacting, collaborating emotions are an important facilitator for learning. Research shows and communicating, children build a deeper understanding and that negative emotions and experiences obstruct our ability to learn. powerful connections with others. Social interaction is important for motivation, but also for developing critical thinking skills and other more complex learning-to-learn skills.

* Zosh, J. M., Hopkins, E. J., Jensen, H., Liu, C., Neale, D., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Solis, S. L., & Whitebread, D. (2017). Learning through play: a review of the evidence (white paper). The LEGO Foundation, DK. // Zosh JM, Hirsh-Pasek K, Hopkins EJ, Jensen H, Liu C, Neale D, Solis SL and Whitebread D (2018). Accessing the Inaccessible: Redefining Play as a Spectrum. Front. Psychol.9:1124. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01124

www.vvob.org 3 Putting SDG4 into practice: Learning through play

Types of playful learning

Play, and learning through play, unfolds on a spectrum depending Learning can take place at all levels of the continuum. Different types on the intensity and type of guidance and support from adults, as of play will lead to different learning outcomes and have different well as on how explicitly learning goals are set. results in different settings. While free play might be beneficial for developing socio-emotional skills, guided play could be better to At one end of the spectrum, Zosh and her colleagues identify ‘free support STEM learning. Generally, Zosh and her co-authors do play’. Children experience the freedom to play and explore without argue that guided play maximises learning more than other types of limitations or interference. They are free to initiate the play context play. and direct the play. There is no explicit learning goal, although learning does happen. Further along the spectrum, play also occurs, In VVOB’s interventions, any dimension of play can be the focus. but in increasingly structured environments. Materials, physical The different countries and contexts where we work require tailored spaces, and teachers or parents can all structure play. Guided play approaches. In many formal early childhood education systems, is where the adult (teacher, parent) chooses or arranges a context, introducing guided play to classrooms is an ambitious but feasible and sets a learning goal, but the child directs the play in that setting. goal. In other settings, introducing playful elements in higher levels Games are a particular form of guided play where play is directed by of education can be an inspiring first step towards the learning predefined rules. Even further there is co-opted play, where play is through play spectrum. In settings where children have less and less initiated by the child and adults step in to direct the play towards a ‘free time’ to explore and discover the world without constraints, certain learning goal. Lastly under the umbrella of learning through raising teachers’ and parents’ awareness of the benefits of free play is play, is playful instruction. This is straightforward instruction by also very relevant. adults who initiate and direct learning while using playful elements.

Play as a spectrum

Free play Guided Games Co-opted Playful Direct play play instruction instruction

Initiated by: Child Adult Adult Child Adult Adult Directed by: Child Child Child Adult Adult Adult Explicit learning No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes goal:

Spectrum of Play. Zosh et. al., 2018

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VVOB’s systemic approach to introducing learning through play

Introducing learning through play in the formal education system often requires a paradigm shift. From a very young age already, many children find themselves in under-resourced, overcrowded classrooms, where teachers rely heavily on instructional practices that fail to actively engage learners and that reduce social interaction between them. Parents and educators alike may associate education with academic achievement and favour methods for teaching and learning that emphasise content-based rote learning. Changing these circumstances requires a systemic approach.

VVOB strengthens education systems’ capacity to support teachers and school leaders in creating the best conditions for learning through play. VVOB supports Ministries of Education and local education authorities to strengthen teacher and school leader professional development systems.

Teachers are the most important factor when it comes to structuring the classroom environment for children to learn through play. But VVOB focuses on: they may not be aware of the importance of play for learning and/ or not know what learning through play could look like in their n Supporting the creation of a conducive policy classroom. At the same time, teachers may not find much support to environment for learning through play, providing input in introduce such an innovation. Early childhood education curricula policy development and supporting the operationalisation do not necessarily provide them with much guidance and teachers of existing policies. may lack the authority to adapt and enrich the existing programme; n Introducing learning through play in: initial teacher training probably did not help them develop the n the pre-service teacher training system, for instance beliefs, knowledge and skills needed to promote learning through through curriculum reform at the level of teacher training play in their classrooms; and school leaders may not be providing institutions or by preparing teacher educators to include indispensable moral and practical support. learning through play in their courses;

n induction and continuous professional development School leaders have considerable influence on the conditions for (new) teachers, for instance by preparing those that allow (or impede) teachers to adopt learning through play responsible for coaching and mentoring in-service approaches. They play an important role in providing the necessary teachers (district officials, school leaders, teacher materials and spaces for learning through play to happen. They can mentors,…) so that they can encourage teachers to promote learning through play by creating specific school-based experiment with learning through play and offer professional development opportunities for their teaching staff, meaningful feedback; but unfortunately, they often discourage teachers from innovating, n school leadership development, for instance by because they themselves are not familiar with the concept. Like supporting dialogue on meaningful child development teachers, school leaders need support to become true advocates of and exchange of good practices through professional learning through play. learning communities for school leaders.

www.vvob.org 5 Putting SDG4 into practice: Learning through play

The case of Vietnam

Challenge: bringing learning and play together

Vietnam’s 2005 Education Law takes a particularly favourable related values and beliefs will spontaneously disappear. Even though perspective on learning through play. As the objective and main the importance of so-called ‘play activities’ for holistic development method for early childhood education, it explicitly states that is recognised within the Vietnamese education system, these preschools should “help children develop holistically by organising activities are still seen as separate from so-called ‘learning activities’ play activities.” The 2009 early childhood education curriculum designed to deliver content, achieve (highly valued) high academic likewise insists on holistic development, deep learning and child- standards and satisfy parents’ preference for ‘real education’. Given initiated activities to ensure that all children can develop to their full the academic content-driven understanding of learning, the concept potential. But the gap between policy and practice remains wide. In of ‘learning through play’ appears somewhat contradictory to many Vietnam’s early childhood education facilities, teaching and learning Vietnamese early childhood educators. In the classroom, ‘learning’ is still very often teacher-led with very little opportunities for guided as an essentially cognitive process is separated from and valued play or free play. over ‘play’. Even during ‘play activities’, there is often little room for children’s initiative as teachers insist on children following Education and learning have been highly valued for centuries in instructions from a very early age. Vietnam, yet this was more in the interest of learners’ academic achievements rather than their holistic development. The strong Despite a promising policy environment on paper, shifting actual emphasis on “studying hard” that contributes to Vietnam’s stellar classroom practice towards joyful, meaningful and actively engaging PISA results is not easily counter-balanced, and it is unlikely that learning through play is a complex and long-term process.

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A two-phased approach: rooted in reflection

To tackle this challenge, VVOB works hand-in-hand with the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training to provide in-service teachers with professional development opportunities that impact teachers’ deep-seated beliefs about learning as well as well as their pedagogical practice. Together with the provincial Departments of Education and Training in Quang Nam, Kon Tum and Quang Ngai, VVOB opts for a two-phased approach.

First phase Second phase In the first phase, teacher professional development is approached In the second phase, the teacher professional development shifts to through a combination of training, action and reflection. In line school-based modalities, such as experimentation and self-reflection, with the objectives of Vietnam’s child-centered early education co-teaching, and collaborative learning among teachers. From this curriculum, the focus of the intervention is on children’s wellbeing point onward, it is crucial that teachers can count on support from and involvement. school leaders and other supervisors, such as district education officers, who can visit classrooms to observe and give feedback on Rooted in the educational model of Experiential Education*, these playful teaching and learning practices. In anticipation of this phase, two concepts should be understood as follows. ‘Well-being’ indicates VVOB makes sure to involve these stakeholders in the previous that the basic needs of the child are satisfied and refers to the degree phase of the intervention. to which children feel at ease, act spontaneously, show vitality and self-confidence. ‘Involvement’, on the other hand, is evident when Because Vietnamese teachers have never experienced play in children are concentrated and focused, interested and fascinated formal learning themselves, the ministry of education – with and when they are operating at the very limits of their capabilities. VVOB’s support – organises inspiration sessions on playful learning High levels of wellbeing and involvement lead, in the end, to better activities. Teachers learn how to consult children on their interests learning outcomes. and organise meaningful activities around these. They learn about using choice boards to allow children to engage in corner play In order to support children’s wellbeing and involvement, VVOB activities. Teachers are inspired to use more open-ended locally and the ministry of education developed a two-module training for available materials that support children’s holistic development. preschool teachers. In the first module, teachers are supported by During these sessions, teachers are provided with opportunities to a group of core trainers from the ministry of education to observe engage in playful learning activities themselves. Facilitators guide children’s levels of well-being and involvement using a specifically participants’ reflection to transform these experiences into ideas for developed five-point monitoring scale. In the second module, their own teaching context. teachers learn to identify which children are doing well and which are at risk of not learning. The teachers are guided to reflect on barriers to learning experienced by those children at risk. These reflections form the basis for the next phase: prioritising action points and experimenting with changes in the learning environment, activities, materials and interactions in the class. % Children at risk (Nam Giang district) In Nam Giang, one of the participating districts in Quang Nam province, teachers specifically chose to compare children’s observed 100% involvement and wellbeing during the so-called ‘learning activities’ 36% versus so-called ‘play activities’. ‘Learning activities’ included 80% academic activities such as counting, reading letters from the 57% 60% blackboard, teachers telling a story, .... ‘Play activities’ included free 42% play, corner play (a method that allows learners to choose between 40% different group activities located in different areas in the classroom) 32% and guided outdoor activities. Through these observations, they 20% 22% found that more children were doing well during ‘play activities’, 11% 0% while levels of wellbeing and involvement were lowest during the more teacher-led academic activities. The insights from Nam Giang Class screening during Class screening during ‘learning activities’ ‘play activities’ quickly inspired preschool teachers in other participating districts to start experimenting with ‘play activities’. Serious concern In need of attention Learning

* Laevers, F 2005, Deep Level Learning and the Experiential Approach in Early Childhood and Primary Education, Research Centre for Early Childhood and Primary Education Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

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The case of Zambia

Challenge: colleges in Kitwe and Serenje; and Chalimbana University, where a translating policy to practice degree programme for early childhood teachers is organised.

In Zambia, VVOB promotes the integration of learning through play VVOB’s approach is two-pronged: in early childhood and early grade primary education (grade 1). On the one hand, VVOB supports the Zambian education system in operationalising the existing early childhood education policy. For Learning through play is integrated in the Zambian policy instance, VVOB assists with the roll-out of the ELDS at provincial environment for early childhood education. The curriculum and district level in Central Province and helps the ministry in promotes learning through play as an important teaching aligning existing assessment tools with the standards. To promote methodology in early childhood. Learning through play is at the playful learning, VVOB has also advocated the integration of group foundation of the recently adopted Early Learning Development work into the national early childhood syllabus. Standards (ELDS) for children from 0 to 6. At the same time, VVOB makes sure current and future preschool However, translating the policy into more operational guidelines and early childhood teachers are able to apply learning through play and instruments for teacher training institutes and provincial and in their classrooms. To do so, VVOB builds capacity of pre-service district education authorities remains a challenge. Subsequently, and in-service teacher training institutions in four thematic areas: early childhood education teachers (preschool and grade 1 teachers) n currently do not have sufficient capacity to organise and support groupwork; n playful learning activities in their classrooms. Education is still very classroom management; n much teacher-centred and content-based. teaching at the level of the learners; n and development and use of locally available teaching and learning resources.

Approach: interventions at different levels Through explicit modelling, teacher trainers are exposed to playful learning activities and then stimulated to reflect on how they can To promote the practical application of learning through play link back this experience to the classroom and the teacher training pedagogies in early childhood and grade 1 teaching, VVOB supports setting. Teacher trainers are strengthened in coaching and mentoring a number of partners: the Ministry of General Education at the competencies to support teachers and school leaders in the national level as well as provincial services for in-service teacher implementation of playful learning pedagogies in their classrooms training in Central Province; the pre-service teacher training and schools.

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Groupwork through corner play Groupwork creates opportunities for learners to interact and has supports teachers in classroom management by helping them set strong benefits for language and socio-emotional development. For clear expectations. ‘What can learners expect? What does the teacher the practical organisation of groupwork, VVOB promotes corner expect from the learners?’ Expectations need to be made explicit, for play, where teachers allow learners to choose between different example through a visual daily programme, a choice board or the group activities located in different areas in the classroom. The use of pictures with classroom rules. activities are linked to the syllabus objectives and vary between table top activities, pretend-play, etc. A visual daily programme informs learners on what they will be doing that day and when they will have moments of freedom, when Children are free to change activities as long as there is a free they will go home, etc. It increases wellbeing and develops the spot in the activity of their choice. This allows them to engage abstract concept of time in young learners. in those activities that are most meaningful to them. Choice A choice board facilitates and visualises the process of choosing increases motivation, creates a higher sense of agency and stronger guided play activities by giving learners a certain degree of control engagement to what is being learned. Children will then tend to over what play activities they want to engage in and giving them the challenge themselves and work at the limits of their abilities. opportunity to work on activities at their own pace. Teachers are supported to think about class rules and their wording. Classroom management They brainstorm positive reinforcement systems and are informed Learning through play in large class groups with freedom and choice about logical consequences as a way to diminish misbehaviour and for learners, can easily turn into chaos and impede the safety needed increase learners’ wellbeing and self-regulation. for learning. Therefore, classroom management is crucial. VVOB

www.vvob.org 9 Putting SDG4 into practice: Learning through play

At the level of the learners Teaching and learning using locally available ‘Chalk and talk’ is a popular teaching practice in Zambia’s resources (TALULAR) classrooms and often results in rote learning. Children could be In order to allow learners to establish meaningful relationships counting, for instance, without really understanding what the with what is being learnt, teachers are taught and encouraged to numbers represent. To change the teaching and learning process, make playful TALULAR learning materials which can be used in VVOB provides advice on how numeracy and literacy skills progress guided play activities during groupwork. Teachers are asked to and which different steps learners need to go through. This allows reflect on which learning opportunities the materials offer, whether teachers to teach at the level of the learners. Teachers are made they promote playful problem solving, interaction, multisensory aware of the steps and, to expand their range of teaching methods, exploration, manipulation and discovery. In addition, teachers are the steps are linked to examples of both teacher-led and more asked to think about how the materials can be adapted to the needs independent guided play activities. For example, through a variety of different learners. VVOB gave technical support to the ministry of games children can establish meaningful relationships between of education in the development of a ‘low cost resource’ manual counting and a number of objects in the classroom. which was funded by UNICEF.

When learners are engaged in more independent guided play activities in groups, the teacher has time to observe the learners. Awareness of learning progressions and the steps involved in the development of specific skills can guide teachers’ observations and help them to see at what stage a learner is and what the next suitable step for this learner is, making activities challenging. Where necessary, teachers can take certain learners aside during groupwork for remedial teaching.

Gender responsive learning through play

VVOB and the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), together with the Ministries of Education of Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia, developed a toolkit on gender- responsive pedagogy (GRP) to support early childhood teachers and school leaders. The toolkit places a strong emphasis on gender responsive learning through play and wants to see educators encourage learners to engage in all kinds of play, without being hindered by gender stereotypes.

While all play allows for mixed-age and mixed-gender groups, boys and girls are socialised to play in different ways. This can cause children to think that boys and girls are very different and unable to do the same things. Such notions of gender differences affect learners’ aspirations and achievements. Challenging these differences and questioning stereotypes is very important from an early age onwards, because young learners are still in the process of defining what it means to be a girl or a boy.

The toolkit contains a wealth of tips and inspiration for gender-responsive lesson planning and delivery, creating gender-responsive learning environments and play areas, developing gender-responsive play materials and getting the community on board.

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About VVOB Providing technical assistance For VVOB, providing technical assistance means: VVOB is a Belgian non-profit organisation with more than 35 years’ experience in sustainably improving the quality, efficiency and n offering structural and sustainable solutions to support and effectiveness of education. VVOB’s annual budget is approximately reinforce the capacities of governments and local education €11 million. authorities responsible for the professional development of teachers and school leaders. VVOB focus n offering practical and technical education expertise and support for processes through a wide range of methodologies, from In pursuit of quality education, VVOB works in two niches, the classical training and workshops to mentoring, coaching and professional development of school teachers and the professional peer learning. development of school leaders, in: n ensuring that partners increasingly take the lead throughout programmes to guarantee sustainability. n early education to improve the quality of formal pre-primary education and assist the transition to primary school. n primary education to improve literacy, numeracy and life skills. How VVOB works n secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes. Addresses local needs and contexts n secondary technical and vocational education and training to VVOB aligns its work with national education strategies to inspire improve quality, align knowledge and skills imparted with the policies adapted to local needs and contexts. labour market, and integrate entrepreneurship.

As a fundamental principle, VVOB firmly believes that quality Collaborates with a network of educational education can only be achieved if equity, and particularly gender partners equity, is achieved in the education system. VVOB develops educational expertise based on its know-how and exchanges within its worldwide and Flemish network of educational VVOB expertise partners – teacher training institutions, universities, ministries of education, educational service providers and international VVOB teams of experts specialise in meeting the most important organisations. education needs identified by international research and in the education strategies and priorities of VVOB partner countries. We do Operational partners this through capacity development and technical assistance. VVOB partners with ministries of education, teacher training institutions and organisations focusing on professional development. Developing the capacity of local Partners range from national and regional governments to institutions, individual schools, school leaders, teachers and students. education authorities For VVOB, developing the capacity of local education Financial partners authorities means: Local governments finance programmes from their own budgets and with support from national and international donors, including the n professionalising teachers through strengthening teacher training Belgian and Flemish governments, the European Union, USAID, institutions and professional development organisations, and Mastercard Foundation, Dubai Cares, other foundations and mentoring and coaching systems. international non-governmental organisations. n professional development of school leaders through professional development organisations, and mentoring and coaching Stimulates cooperation systems. n enabling a strong policy environment for the professionalisation VVOB stimulates cooperation between educational institutions of teachers and school leaders, by enhancing dialogue, across continents. communication and collaboration among stakeholders. Where VVOB works

VVOB works in 10 countries – Belgium, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Rwanda, South Africa, Suriname, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia – and on assignments in other countries.

www.vvob.org 11 ‘Putting SDG4 into practice’ technical briefs:

Contacts VVOB vzw Julien Dillensplein 1 bus 2A 1060 Brussels Belgium T: +32 (0)2 209 07 99 [email protected]